This invention relates in general to a spring for use with a female electrical terminal. More specifically, this invention relates to a spring with a stabilizing feature for use with a female electrical terminal.
Electrical terminals commonly include a female terminal and a corresponding male terminal that may be mated to establish an electrical connection. Male electrical terminals are manufactured in various shapes, including pins and blades, and female electrical terminals are manufactured in complementary shapes that can engage the appropriate male terminal. Female terminals often include a contact portion with multiple contact arms that press onto sides of the male terminal. It is known to provide a female terminal with a spring member to increase the compression force between the male terminal and the female terminal. An example of one such spring is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,892,050. The spring member is typically made of a material that, compared to the material of the contact portion, has inferior electrical conductivity but is less susceptible to relaxation. The spring maintains the desired compression force without requiring that the size of the contact portion be increased and allows the female terminal to maintain a desired contact area with the male terminal, even when the temperature of the female terminal increases.
It is also known to provide a female terminal with front end protection. An example of front end protection is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 9,548,553. The terminal shown in the '553 patent includes a spring member with integral front end protection. The spring engages contact arms to maintain a compression force between the female terminal and a corresponding male terminal, similar to the spring member described in the '050 patent. Additionally, the spring member includes a cage that extends around and past the contact arms. The cage protects the contact arms from damage during shipping, handling, installation, and use. Because the cage is part of the spring member, no additional pieces are added to the female terminal. It would be desirable to have a spring with features that make is easier to properly position on the contact portion.